Agent Matt: Academy of Shadows

Chapter 7: Black Walls

The man sitting in the gold, antique chair turned his head slowly and gazed out the window at the snow-covered slopes of ombre Académie. Dr. Howard Sorrow was almost sixty years old with short, white hair and a face that was almost colourless too. His skin was white, his lips vague shadows. Even his tongue was no more than gray. And yet, against this blank background, he wore circular wire glasses with dark red lenses. For him, the entire world would be the colour of blood. He had long fingers, the nails beautifully manicured. He was dressed in a dark suit buttoned up to his neck. If there were such a thing as a vampire, it might look very much like Dr. Howard Sorrow.

"I have decided to move the Shadow Project into its last phase," he said. He spoke with a South African accent, biting into each word before it left his mouth. "There can be no further delay."

"I understand, Dr. Sorrow." A woman sat opposite Dr. Sorrow, dressed in tight-fitting spandex with a sweatband around her head. This was Eva Stenavich. She had just finished her morning workout two hours of weight lifting and aerobics-and was still breathing heavily, her huge muscles rising and falling. Mrs. Stenavich had a facial structure that wasn't quite human, with lips curving out far in front of her nose and wisps of bright ginger hair hanging over a high-domed forehead. She was holding a glass filled with some milky green liquid. Her fingers were thick and stubby. She had to be careful not to break the glass. She sipped her drink, and then frowned. "Are you sure we're ready?" she asked.

"We have no choice in the matter. We have had two unsatisfactory results in the last few months. First Anto Vanko. Then Jones in New York. Quite apart from the expense of arranging the terminations, it's possible that someone may have connected the two deaths."

"Possible, but unlikely," Mrs. Stenavich said.

"The intelligence services are idle and inefficient, it is true. The CIA in America. MI6 in England. JIN 7 in Japan, Even the KGB. They're all shadows of what they used to be. But even so, there's always the chance that one of them might have accidentally stumbled onto something. The sooner we end this phase of the operation, the more chance we have of remaining unnoticed." Dr. Sorrow brought his hands together and rested his chin on his fingers. "When is the final boy arriving?" he asked.

"Matt?" Mrs. Stenavich sipped from her cup and set it down. She opened her handbag and took out a handkerchief, which she used to wipe her lips. "I am travelling to Japan tomorrow," she said.

"Excellent. You'll take the boy to Rome on the way here?"

"Of course, Doctor. If that's what you wish."

"It is very much what I wish. We can do all the preliminary work there. It will save time. What about the Spurtz boy?"

"I'm afraid we still need another few days."

"That means that he and Matt will be here at the same time."

"Yes." Dr. Sorrow considered. He had to balance the risk of the two boys meeting against the dangers of moving too fast. It was fortunate that he had a scientific mind. His calculations were never wrong.

"Very well" he said "The Spurtz boy can stay with us for another few days. I sense he is growing restless, and a new friend might put his mind at ease." Mrs. Stenavich nodded. She lifted her glass and emptied its contents, the veins in her neck throbbing as she swallowed.

"Matt Hiroku is an excellent catch for us," Dr. Sorrow said.

"Supermalls?" The woman sounded unconvinced.

"His father has the prime minister's ear and has a seat on the UN. He is an impressive man. His son, I am sure, will meet up to all our expectations." Dr. Sorrow smiled. His eyes glowed red. "Very soon, we'll have Matt here, at the academy. And then, at last, the Shadow Project will be complete."

"You're sitting all wrong," Alice said. "Your back isn't straight. Your hands should be lower. And your feet are pointing the wrong way."

"What does it matter, so long as you're enjoying yourself?" Matt asked, speaking through gritted teeth. It was the fourth day of his stay at Osokiuo Mansion, and Alice had been persuaded to take him out riding. Matt wasn't enjoying himself at all. First he'd had to endure the inevitable lecture-although he had barely listened. The horses were Iberian or Hungarian. They'd won a bucketful of gold medals. Matt didn't care. All he knew was that his horse was big and black and attracted flies. And that he was riding it with all the style of a sack of potatoes on a trampoline. The two of them had barely mentioned the business in the forest. When Matt had limped back to the house, Alice had politely fetched him a him a cup of tea. She would have handed him a towel if he didn't meet up with one of alice's class mates. a girl called Mion Sonozaki who offered to clean him up, thinking he'd been involved in some sort of accident. She said it was the way the village worked, when someone needed help anyone and everyone would help. When he told the Hiroku's Alice's reply was simple.

"Freaks. All of them, It's bad enough I have to be in the same class as them and now helping you, probably just after our money." She despised everyone, anyone she couldn't buy. As the Hiroku's left matt, he turned to Alice with hatred in his eyes.

"You tried to kill me!" Matt said.

"Don't be silly." Alice looked at Matt with something like pity in her eyes. "We would never do that. Jameson is a very nice boy."

"'What?"

"It was just a game, Matt. Just a bit of fun." And that was it Alice had smiled as if everything had been explained and then gone to have a swim. Matt had spent the rest of the evening with the files. He was trying to take in a fake history that spanned fifteen years. There were uncles and aunts, friends at Hinamizawa's private school, a whole crowd of people he had to know without ever having met any of them. More than that, he was trying to get the feel of this luxurious lifestyle. That was why he was here now, out riding with Alice-she upright in her riding jacket and breeches, he bumping along behind. They had ridden for about an hour and a half when they came to a tunnel. Alice had tried to teach Matt a bit of technique-the difference, for example, between walking, trotting, and cantering. But this was one sport he had already decided he would never take up. Every bone in his body had been rattled out of shape, and his bottom was so bruised he wondered if he would ever be able to sit down again. Alice seemed to be enjoying his torment. He even wondered if she had chosen a particularly bumpy route to add to his bruises. Or maybe it was just a particularly bumpy horse. There was a single railway line ahead of them, crossed by a tiny lane with an automatic gate crossing equipped with a bell and flashing lights to warn motorists of any approaching train. Alice steered her horse-a smaller grey-toward it. Matt's horse automatically followed. He assumed they were going to cross the line, but when she reached the barrier, Alice stopped.

"There's a shortcut we can take if you want to get home," she said.

"A shortcut would be good," Matt admitted.

"It's that way." Alice pointed up the line toward a tunnel, a gaping black hole in the side of a hill, surrounded by dark red brick. Matt looked at her to see if she was joking. She was obviously quite serious. He turned back to the tunnel. It was like the barrel of a gun, pointing at him, warning him to keep away. He could almost imagine the giant finger on the trigger, somewhere behind the hill. How long was it? Looking more carefully, he could see a pinprick of light at the other end, perhaps half a mile away.

"You're not serious," he said.

"Actually, Matt, I don't usually tell jokes. When I say something, I mean it. I'm just like my father."

"Except your father isn't completely crazy," Matt muttered. Alice pretended not to hear him. "The tunnel is about one mile long," she explained. "There's a bridge on the other side then another gate crossing. If we go that way, we can be home in thirty minutes. Otherwise it's an hour and a half back the way we came."

"Then let's go the way we came."

"Oh, Matt, don't be such a scaredy-cat!" Alice pouted at him. "There's only one train an hour on this line and the next one isn't due for . . ." She looked at her watch. ". . . Twenty minutes. I've been through the tunnel a hundred times and it never takes more than five minutes. Less if you canter."

"It's still crazy to ride on a railway line."

"Well, you'll have to find your own way home if you turn back." She kicked with her heels and her horse jerked forward, past the barrier and onto the line. "I'll see you later." But Matt followed her. He would never have been able to ride back to the house on his own. He didn't know the way, and he could barely control his horse. Even now it was following Alice with no prompting from him. Would the two animals really enter the darkness of the tunnel? It seemed incredible, but Alice had said they had done it before, and sure enough, the horses walked into the side of the hill without even hesitating. Matt shivered as the light was suddenly cut off behind him.

It was cold and clammy inside. The air smelled of soot and diesel. The tunnel was a natural echo chamber. The horses' hooves rattled all around them as they struck against the gravel between the ties. What if his horse stumbled? Matt put the thought out of his mind. The leather saddles creaked. Slowly his eyes got used to the dark. A certain amount of sunshine was filtering in from behind. More comfortingly, the way out was clearly visible straight ahead, the circle of light widening with every step. He tried to relax. Perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad after all. And then Alice spoke. She had slowed down, allowing his horse to catch up with hers. "Are you still worried about the train, Matt?" she said scornfully. "Perhaps you'd like to go faster." He heard the riding crop whistle through the air and felt his horse jerk as Alice whipped it hard on the rear. The horse whinnied and leapt forward.

Matt was almost thrown backward off the saddle. Digging in with his legs, he just managed to cling on, but the whole top of his body was at a crazy angle, the reins tearing into the horse's mouth. Alice laughed and it echoced through the tunnel, it was almost demonic. And then Matt was aware only of the wind rushing past him, the thick blackness spinning around his face and the horses' hooves striking heavily at the gravel as the animal careened forward. Soot blew into his eyes, blinding him. He thought he was going to fall. Minutes seemed to pass in mere seconds. But then, miraculously, they burst out into the light. Matt fought for his balance and then brought the horse back under control, pulling back with the reins and squeezing the horse's flanks with his knees. He took a deep breath and waited for Alice to appear. His horse had come to rest on the bridge that she had mentioned. The bridge was fashioned out of thick iron girders and spanned a river. There had been a lot of rain that month and, about fifty feet below him; the water was racing past, dark green and deep. Carefully, he turned around to face the tunnel. If he lost control here, it would be easy to fall over the edge. The sides of the bridge couldn't have been more than three feet high. He could hear Alice approaching. She had been cantering after him, probably laughing the entire way. He gazed into the tunnel, and that was when Alice's grey horse burst out, raced past him, and disappeared through the gate crossing on the other side of the bridge.

But Alice wasn't on it.

The horse had come out alone.

It took Matt a few seconds to work it out. His head was reeling. She must have fallen off. Perhaps her horse had stumbled. She could be lying inside the tunnel. On the track. How long was there until the next train? Twenty minutes, she had said. But at least five of those minutes had gone, and she might have been exaggerating to begin with.

"Son of a bitch." Matt swore. Damn this wretched girl with her spoiled brat behaviour and her almost suicidal games. But he couldn't leave her. He seized hold of the reins. Somehow he would get this horse to obey him. He had to get her out, and he had to do it fast. Perhaps his desperation managed to communicate itself to the horse's brain. The animal wheeled around and tried to back away, but when Matt kicked with his heels, it stumbled forward and reluctantly entered the darkness of the tunnel for a second time. Matt kicked again. He didn't want to hurt it, but he could think of no other way to make it obey him. The horse trotted on. Matt searched ahead. "Alice!" he called out. There was no reply. He had hoped that she would be walking toward him, but he couldn't hear any footsteps. If only there was more light! The horse stopped and there she was, right in front of him, lying on the ground, her arms and chest actually on the line. If a train came now, it would cut her in half. It was too dark to see her face, but when she spoke he heard the pain in her voice.

"Matt. . . , " she said. "I think I've broken my ankle."

"What happened?"

"There was a cobweb or something. I was trying to keep up with you. It went in my face and I lost my balance." She'd been trying to keep up with him! She almost sounded as if she were blaming him-as if she had forgotten that she was the one who had whipped his horse in the first place.

"Can you get up?" Matt asked.

"I don't think so." Matt sighed. Keeping a tight hold on the reins, he slid off his horse. Alice had fallen right in the middle of the tunnel. He forced himself not to panic. If what she had told him was true, the next train must still be at least ten minutes away. He reached down to help her up. His foot came to rest on one of the rails ... and he felt something. Under his foot. Shivering up his leg. The track was vibrating.

The train was on its way.

"You've got to stand up," he said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. He could already see the train in his imagination, thundering along the line. When it plunged into the tunnel, it would be a five -hundred -ton torpedo that would smash them to pieces. He could hear the grinding of the wheels, the roar of the engines. Blood and darkness. It would be a horrible way to die. But he still had time. "Can you move your toes?" he asked.

"I think so." Alice was clutching him.

"Then your ankle's probably sprained, not broken. Come on." He dragged her up wondering if it would be possible to stay inside the tunnel, on the edge of the track. If they hugged the wall, the train might simply go past them. But Matt knew there wouldn't be enough space. And even if the train missed them, it would still hit the horse. Suppose it derailed? Dozens of people could be killed. "What train comes this way?" he asked. "Does it carry passengers?"

"Yes." Alice was sounding tearful. "It's a Bullet train. Heading to Tokyo."

Matt sighed. It was just his luck to get the only Bullet train ever to arrive on time.

Alice froze. "What's that?" she asked. She had heard the clanging of a bell. The gate crossing! It was signalling the approach of the train, the barrier lowering itself over the road. And then Matt heard a second sound that made his blood run cold. For a moment he couldn't breathe. It was extraordinary. His breath was stuck in his lungs and refused to get up to his mouth. His whole body was paralyzed as if some switch had been thrown in his brain. He was simply terrified.

The screech of a train whistle.

It was still a mile or more away, but the tunnel was acting as a sound conductor and he could feel it cutting into him. And then another sound: the rolling thunder of the engine. It was moving fast toward them. Underneath his foot, the rail vibrated more violently. Matt gulped for air and forced his legs to obey him.

"Get on the horse," he shouted. "I'll help you." Not caring how much pain he caused her, he dragged Alice next to the horse and forced her up onto the saddle. The noise grew louder with every second that passed. The rail was humming softly, like a giant tuning fork. The very air inside the tunnel seemed to be in motion, spinning left and right as if trying to get out of the way. Alice squealed and Matt felt her weight leave his arms as she fell onto the saddle. The horse whinnied and took a half step sideways, and for a dreadful moment Matt thought she was going to ride off without him. There was just enough light to make out the shapes of both the animal and its rider. He saw Alice grabbing the reins. She brought it back under control. Matt reached up and caught hold of the horse's mane. He used the thick hair to pull himself onto the saddle, in front of Alice. The noise of the train was getting louder and louder. Soot and loose concrete were trickling out of the curving walls. The wind currents were twisting faster, the rails singing. For a moment the two of them were tangled together, but then he had the reins and she was clinging on to him, her arms around his chest.

"Go!" he shouted and kicked the horse. The horse needed no encouragement. It raced for the light, galloping up the railway line, throwing Matt and Alice back and forward, into each other. Matt didn't dare look behind him, but he felt the train as it reached the mouth of the tunnel and plunged in, travelling at 105 miles per hour. A shock wave hammered into them. The train was punching the air out of its way, filling the space with solid steel. The horse understood the danger and burst forward with new speed, its hooves flying over the ties in great strides. Ahead of them the tunnel mouth opened up, but Matt knew, with a sickening sense of despair, that they weren't going to make it. Even when they got out of the tunnel, they would still be hemmed in by the sides of the bridge. The second gate crossing was a hundred yards farther down the line. They might get out but they would die in the open air.

The horse passed through the end of the tunnel. Matt felt the circle of darkness slip over his shoulders. Alice was screaming, her arms wrapped around him so tightly that he could barely breathe. He could hardly hear her. The roar of the train was right behind him, and as the horse began a desperate race over the bridge, he sneaked a glance around. He just had time to see the huge, metallic beast roar out of the tunnel, towering over them, its body painted the brilliant white and blue, the driver staring in horror from behind his window. There was a second blast from the train whistle, this one all-consuming, exploding all around them. Matt knew what he had to do. He pulled on one rein, at the same time kicking with the opposite foot. He just had to hope the horse would understand what he wanted. And somehow it worked. The horse veered around. Now it was facing the side of the bridge. There was a final, deafening blast from the train. The smell of death smothered them. Matt kicked again with all his strength. The horse jumped. The train roared past, missing them by inches. But now they were in the air, over the side of the bridge. The railcars were still thundering past, a blue and white blur. Alice screamed a second time. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as they fell. One moment they were next to the bridge, a moment later underneath it and still falling. The green river rose up to receive them. The horse with its two riders plummeted through the air and crashed into the river. Matt just had time to snatch a breath.

He was afraid that the water wouldn't be deep enough, that all three of them would end up with broken necks. But they hit the surface and passed through, down into a freezing, dark green whirlpool that sucked at them greedily, threatening to keep them there forever. Alice was torn away from him. He felt the horse kick itself free. Bubbles exploded out of his mouth and he realized he was yelling. Finally, Matt rose to the surface again. The water was rushing past and, dragged back by his clothes and shoes, he clumsily swam for the nearest bank. The train driver hadn't stopped. Perhaps he had been too frightened by what had happened. Perhaps he wanted to pretend it hadn't happened at all. Either way, the train had gone. Matt reached the bank and pulled himsel upf, shivering, onto the grass. There was a splutter and a cough from behind him, and Alice appeared. She had lost her riding hat, and her long black hair was hanging over her face. Matt looked past her. The horse had also managed to reach dry land. It trotted forward and shook itself, seemingly unharmed. Matt was glad about that. When all was said and done, the horse had saved both their lives. He stood up. Water dripped out of his clothes. There was no feeling anywhere in his body. He wondered whether it was because of the cold water or the shock of what he had just been through. He went over to Alice and helped her to her feet.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes." She was looking at him strangely. She wobbled, and he put out a hand to steady her. "Thank you," she said.

"That's all right."

"No." She held on to his hand. Her shirt had fallen open and she threw back her head, shaking the hair out of her eyes. "What you did back there ... it was fantastic. Matt, I'm sorry I've been so awful to you all week. I thought-because you were here only for charity and all the rest of it-I thought you were just an oink. But I was wrong about you. You're really great. And I know we're going to be friends now." She half closed her eyes and moved toward him, her lips slightly parted. "You can kiss me if you like," she said. Matt let go of her and turned away.

"Thanks, Alice," he said. "But frankly I'd prefer to kiss the horse." The horse neighed and nodded its head in approval. She looked angry. "Come on, let's go get you ankle looked at." he said as he grabbed hold of her. She limped along side him but avoiding his gaze. And no more waswas said.